Man Who Claimed Metro Banana Peel Fall Charged With Fraud

In August, Washington, D.C., resident Maurice Owens reported that he slipped on a banana peel that was in a metro elevator and claimed to have sustained hip and leg injuries. Now the jig is up, as a video has been unearthed depicting Owens of throwing the banana peel on the ground himself.

Owens’ claim against the city has been tossed out and he faces a charge of second-degree fraud, according to The Washington Post.

The 42-year-old District Heights man tried to sue the transit authority for a reported $15,000 to help pay for his chiropractic care for his alleged injuries. But, according to the video tape, any bodily injuries that may have resulted from the fall were likely caused by Owens’ very own hands.

The incident occurred on Aug. 8, around 9 p.m. On the 90-second video, Owens is seen entering an empty metro elevator. He paces around three times as he peers into the camera after each lap. As Owens prepares to exit the elevator, the video depicts him throwing an object behind him onto the ground. The said object was later identified as a banana peel.